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Indian Genius: The Meteoric Rise of Indians in America
It is virtually impossible to turn on CNN, read the Wall Street Journal, go to a hospital, attend a university, or browse a bookstore without encountering a sea of Indian names and faces. In her new book, INDIAN The Meteoric Rise of Indians in America (Harper360; February 28, 2025), author and journalist Meenakshi Ahamed provides fascinating portraits of the Indian Americans at the forefront of the wave of Indian success stories.
Ahamed's brilliant portraits of such well-known figures as Satya Nadella, Vinod Khosla, Shantanu Narayen, Chandrika Tandon, Nikesh Arora, Siddhartha Mukherjee, Deepak Chopra, Nikki Haley, and Fareed Zakaria populate the pages of her book. Based on a series of interviews and full of fresh and surprising stories, INDIAN GENIUS reveals the private strengths that made possible each individual's public achievements.
What accounts for Indian Americans' remarkable ability to break into mainstream American culture and their meteoric rise within its ranks? Other immigrant groups have found success in the U.S., but none have rocketed so far and so fast, reaching heights in a single generation that have taken other groups the better part of a century to achieve. In INDIAN GENIUS, Ahamed focuses on three areas where Indian Americans have had a singular tech, medicine and public policy.
The per capita income of Indian Americans far exceeds that of any ethnic group. According to a 2018 survey by the Pew Research Center, the median annual household income for Indian Americans is $100,000 higher than other Asian Americans ($75,000) and the general population ($53,600). Indians were also the most highly educated; 72 percent are college graduates, compared to 51 percent of other Asians and 30 percent of the rest of the population.
It is essential reading for anyone interested in the path to success in America.
Ahamed's brilliant portraits of such well-known figures as Satya Nadella, Vinod Khosla, Shantanu Narayen, Chandrika Tandon, Nikesh Arora, Siddhartha Mukherjee, Deepak Chopra, Nikki Haley, and Fareed Zakaria populate the pages of her book. Based on a series of interviews and full of fresh and surprising stories, INDIAN GENIUS reveals the private strengths that made possible each individual's public achievements.
What accounts for Indian Americans' remarkable ability to break into mainstream American culture and their meteoric rise within its ranks? Other immigrant groups have found success in the U.S., but none have rocketed so far and so fast, reaching heights in a single generation that have taken other groups the better part of a century to achieve. In INDIAN GENIUS, Ahamed focuses on three areas where Indian Americans have had a singular tech, medicine and public policy.
The per capita income of Indian Americans far exceeds that of any ethnic group. According to a 2018 survey by the Pew Research Center, the median annual household income for Indian Americans is $100,000 higher than other Asian Americans ($75,000) and the general population ($53,600). Indians were also the most highly educated; 72 percent are college graduates, compared to 51 percent of other Asians and 30 percent of the rest of the population.
It is essential reading for anyone interested in the path to success in America.
415 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 10, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
April 18, 2025
excellent read....Loved the book
August 16, 2025
A must read.
I have never saw a book so able to translate the unique immigration story of the South Asian diaspora. Ahamed weaves together the life story of various high-profile Indian-Americans, illustrating how Indian history, American history, and intergenerational cultural values have shaped major trends in technology, medicine, and politics. The themes that appear throughout the book present a nuanced and well-researched perspective on the Indian-American community and its evolution over time. Ahamed shows how a strong cultural emphasis on education and perseverance propelled many Indian-Americans toward success, while also contextualizing discrimination and adversity that many of them faced in positions of influence.
Some readers may argue that book only focuses the most successful Indian-Americans, thereby reinforcing the “model minority” narrative. However, given that the book is titled "Indian Genius," I disagree. Its celebratory focus on these exceptional Indian-American figures feels intentional and appropriate.
I have never saw a book so able to translate the unique immigration story of the South Asian diaspora. Ahamed weaves together the life story of various high-profile Indian-Americans, illustrating how Indian history, American history, and intergenerational cultural values have shaped major trends in technology, medicine, and politics. The themes that appear throughout the book present a nuanced and well-researched perspective on the Indian-American community and its evolution over time. Ahamed shows how a strong cultural emphasis on education and perseverance propelled many Indian-Americans toward success, while also contextualizing discrimination and adversity that many of them faced in positions of influence.
Some readers may argue that book only focuses the most successful Indian-Americans, thereby reinforcing the “model minority” narrative. However, given that the book is titled "Indian Genius," I disagree. Its celebratory focus on these exceptional Indian-American figures feels intentional and appropriate.
June 11, 2025
Typical model minority narrative that reduces any Indian who isn't rich or attended a prestigious university. There are close to 500 million severely impoverished Indians in India. The Indians that make it to America are not impoverished and starting from the bottom of society. This book is poorly written as the author jumps from profile to profile without showing any connections besides simply being Indian and rich. Chat GPT could have written a better book.
December 5, 2025
The book is essentially a compilation of the profiles of some of the most successful Indian-Americans in the US in technology, healthcare and public affairs. For each profile the author narrates their life and also provides excerpts from her interview with them about their lives and the reasons for their success. The book is very well-written and an easy read. It is essential for any person wishing to understand the Indian-American community and its most successful people.
April 28, 2025
Not exactly what I expected but enlightening - I learned a lot about the incredible influence this group of people had on America, and the world.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews